Issue no 712 27th June 2014
Top Story
Africa’s Untold Universal Service Agency Story – Reaching the parts others don’t reach
In the main, Africa’s Universal Service Agencies have not covered themselves in glory. Although money has been collected from operators it has largely sat in the bank gathering interest. This week at the Intel Africa Broadband and USF Leaders Forum in Cape Town we caught up with two of these agencies that are getting things done: Nthabiseng Pule, Executive Secretary of Lesotho’s Universal Service Agency and Philip Prempeh, Business Development Manager, Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC).Even in countries like Kenya that have expended large amounts of energy and resources on putting in place broadband infrastructure, the roll-out to…
Telecoms
Econet Wireless Considers 5G Network Launch
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe is considering the launch of a 5G network service to its customers in a bid to boost connectivity services and ease communication.The decision to introduce the 5G…
Telecoms
M-Pesa Platform to be Brought Back to Kenya in 2015
Leading Kenyan operator Safaricom is planning to deal with issues surrounding the releasing of the M-Pesa API by relocating the main server back to Kenya.This is according to Safaricom Head…
Telecoms
Togo to Award a 3rd Mobile Operator License Shortly
The government of Togo has authorised plans to award a third mobile operator license for the country. It is currently carrying out a feasibility study into how to carry out…
Telecoms
Nigeria: Glo Gains Most Porting Subscribers in March, April - NCC
National Operator, Globacom, recorded the most gains according to the porting figures released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for March and April this year.This was contained in the Port-Out…
Telecoms
Moroccan telecom regulator opening ADSL market
Moroccan telecom regulator, ANRT, has decided to open up the ADSL market within the country of Morocco in North Africa.While this move will ultimately allow telecom service providers to establish…
Telecoms
Glo Introduces Electronic Recharge in Benin Republic
Globacom subscribers in Benin Republic can now get their airtime recharged anytime and anywhere without the use of recharge cards.This is as the company introduces E-top up service to its…
Telecoms
Safaricom renews licence and infrastructure sharing on the cards
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has renewed Safaricom’s operating licence for a period of ten years, after an extended stand-off prompted by the mobile giant’s poor quality of service…
Telecoms
Malawi to introduce mandatory sim card registration by 2015
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) said they will introduce mandatory sim card registration by January, 2015.MACRA Communications Officer Clara Mulonya told journalists in the capital Lilongwe Tuesday that preparatory work…
Telecoms
Telecoms - In Brief
- Philip Tohme, the CEO of Algerian cellco Djezzy GSM, has said that the company will deploy commercial 3G services ‘during the month of Ramadan’, with the launch expected to…
Internet
Room for African social networks – say VAS Africa panellists
There is a place for local African social networks which will help change politics, governance and ethics across the continent, but they will only thrive if data costs decrease allowing…
Internet
Eritrea's Communications Disconnect
Three years ago, a ship carrying African migrants sank off the coast of Libya. More than 200 drowned, including dozens of young people fleeing their repressive, impoverished home country of…
Internet
Quick African broadband trends from Akamai’s ‘The State of the Internet, Q1 2014′ report
Akamai Technologies, Inc recently released its First Quarter, 2014 State of the Internet report. The report provides insight into key global statistics such as connection speeds, attack traffic, and network…
Internet
Internet – In Brief
- President Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) has been rated as the Africa's most followed president on twitter ahead of Rwanda's president, His Excellency Paul Kagame, (@PaulKagame). This is according to a…
Computing
Inventor of Africa’s first medical tablet wins international award
Arthur Zang, an IT engineer from Cameroon, is one of five Rolex Award young laureates that will receive funding for an innovative invention that has the potential to change the…
Computing
Google appoints Upperlink as SMB reseller for West Africa
Google has appointed Upperlink as its premier Small and Medium Business (SMB) reseller for West Africa. As part of the Apps Reseller programme, Upperlink will receive training, support and deployment…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
- MTN Ghana has reveled its new service “Roam Like Home.” Roam Like Home is a new roaming tariff that allows MTN Ghana subscribers to only pay for the local…
Money Transfer
FNB introduces money transfer to Mozambique
A year after launching its successful Zimbabwe Money Transfer service, FNB has added an additional affordable cross border service, this time to Mozambique. This service is available to qualifying FNB…
Money Transfer
Rwanda: Banks Urged to Tap Opportunities Presented By Mobile Money Service
Linking mobile money platforms with commercial banks could boost deposits and improve opportunities for the private sector to access credit, experts have said.Ebenezer Asante, the MTN Rwanda Chief Executive Officer,…
Money Transfer
WorldRemit Partners With Tanzania’s TigoPesa
Online peer to peer money transfer service WorldRemit, headquartered in London, UK. has partnered with TigoPesa to see people sending money to friends and family in Tanzania easily via their…
Digital Content
University of Djibouti Launches Virtual Platform to Deliver Education to the Masses
The University of Djibouti has launched an e-campus to help it deliver tertiary education to students in countries on the horn of Africa.Sponsored by the Ministry of Higher Education, the…
Digital Content
Mxit active users down by almost 2 million
Popular South African instant messaging service Mxit has seen a sharp decline in the number of active users in the last year, said CEO Francois Swart.According to a story on…
Digital Content
Operator participation vital to African digital music industry
Mobile operators must participate if Africa’s digital music industry is to become a viable market by introducing attractive value propositions to customers, as the current model of the music industry…
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Events
AITEC Banking & Mobile Money15 - 16 July 2014Eko Hotel, Lagos NigeriaDear Colleague,For a number of reasons, including the recent dismissal of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,…
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Jobs & Opportunities
Google Apps Ninja1 Company: Fenix International Deadline: Thursday 17th July 2014 Location: NairobiJob DescriptionFenix produces ultra-affordable power generation and smart energy storage solutions for off-grid homes and small businesses. We…
